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Transportation

Americans have always been a people on the move—on rails, roads, and waterways (for travel through the air, visit the National Air and Space Museum). In the transportation collections, railroad objects range from tools, tracks, and many train models to the massive 1401, a 280-ton locomotive built in 1926. Road vehicles include coaches, buggies, wagons, trucks, motorcycles, bicycles, and automobiles—from the days before the Model T to modern race cars. The accessories of travel are part of the collections, too, from streetlights, gas pumps, and traffic signals to goggles and overcoats.

In the maritime collections, more than 7,000 design plans and scores of ship models show the evolution of sailing ships and other vessels. Other items range from scrimshaw, photographs, and marine paintings to life jackets from the Titanic.

New York City's Grand Central Terminal was constructed between 1903 and 1913. It replaced an earlier and smaller depot at the same location

Twelve photographs in this collection, donated by Smithsonian Secretary S. Dillon Ripley in 1965, may have been taken by his grandfather, J. Dwight Ripley, who was "in charge of the contract to build the Grand Central Tunnel under Park Ave. These were photos of his taken at time of the construction," according to an undated handwritten note from Ripley accompanying the donation

Edwin Price was a locomotive engineer for various railroad companies, ca. 1851-1886. He began his career on the Nashville & Chattanooga where he worked for five years. He was employed for eighteen years on the Little Miami Railroad. He describes the responsibility of his position, "One million one hundred and fourtee[n] thousand nine hundred and twenty three miles or equal to forty two time[s] around the world without crippling, wounding or killing a single soul rideing [sic] behind me."

Summary

One original journal and a typed transcript of the original

Cite as

Edwin Price Reminisences, 1893, Archives Center, National Museum of American History. Gift of Miriam Price Taylor

The ledger contains 82 handwritten pages detailing daily transactions. Many entries suffer from illegibility and poor spelling. Most items concern repair of various parts of wagons and sleighs, often with payment in the form of grain and other farm products

This elegant silver vase was presented to Willard A. Smith, Chief of the Department of Transportation exhibits at the World’s Colombian Exposition in 1893. The Exposition was held in Chicago to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’s “discovery” of America. The Exposition was a great success as a world’s fair, and demonstrated to the international community that Chicago had recovered from the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.

Presenting silver objects has always been a means of expressing gratitude and acknowledging deeds and accomplishments in American culture. It took Tiffany & Co. six months to construct this costly Art Nouveau style vase. Its decoration takes the form of the Transportation Building. The distinct semi-circular arches are the work of architect James Sullivan, who designed the building that housed the Department of Transportation exhibits. Medallions circling the vase celebrate the progress in the modes of land and water transportation, while representations of the Department of Transportation exhibitions adorn the vase as well.

The Baldwin Locomotive Works was started as a sole proprietorship by Matthias W. Baldwin in 1831. The company was the largest plant of its kind in the world. It is now out of business

Summary

Records of engine orders, specifications, prices and delivery (some duplicating), purchaser (usually a railroad), date of trial, engine name, construction number, class, track gauge, number of wheels, size of cylinders, number of valves, and fuel type are given. For later years, prices are given

Cite as

Baldwin Locomotive Works Engine Registers and Order Books, 1822-1956, Archives Center, National Museum of American History